Abstract
This paper describes the evaluation of a program that provides low-income Latina mothers with skills to help their children cope with stress. Based on focus groups with mothers and their school-aged children in two locations, we developed a five-week program for hel** mothers identify signs of stress in their children, learn effective emotion-coaching skills, and learn how to effectively encourage their children to use co** strategies that match the controllability of the situation. We conducted a randomized controlled trial in an urban (n = 13) and rural (n = 78) location in which we randomly assigned mothers to either an intervention or a no-treatment control condition. We completed eight implementations of the program (2 in the urban sample and 6 in the rural one). To evaluate the program, we collected pre- and post-assessments of mothers’ co** knowledge, emotion coaching, strategies for hel** their children cope with stress, maternal self-efficacy in hel** their children cope, general parenting practices, and general parenting self-efficacy. Observers assessed the fidelity of program delivery. Mothers who received the intervention, in contrast to those in the control condition, showed significant increases in their knowledge of strategies to help their children cope with stress, in reported emotion-coaching skills, and in the reported use of positive strategies for hel** their children manage their behavior and emotions in stressful situations (i.e., hel** their children relax and calm down, talking with their children about feelings, hel** their children problem-solve, encouraging distraction, and hel** their children improve their self-esteem). Post intervention, mothers reported increases in their efficacy for hel** their children cope with stress. Analyses revealed no significant effects of the program on general parenting or general parenting self-efficacy, but did have the hypothesized effects on maternal knowledge, attitudes, and reported behavior. Subsequent research should examine the degree to which the program has effects over a longer time period and on children’s approaches to co** with stress.
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This project was funded by a grant from the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences at Washington State University.
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Power, T.G., Ramos, G.G., Guerrero, Y.O. et al. Evaluation of a Program to Help Low-Income, Latina Mothers Help Their Children Cope With Stress. J Primary Prevent 42, 257–277 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10935-021-00632-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10935-021-00632-5